YOUR DESTINATION FOR VIRTUAL DOUBLE CENTURIES!
Planet Ultra’s Mission is to create for you the finest endurance bicycling events and tours anywhere. We strive to challenge you physically, mentally and spiritually, in an environment of friendly camaraderie, personal connection and community among motivated and adventurous cyclists. While you participate with Planet Ultra, and at any other California Triple Crown double centuries, we trust you’ll make great friends, find helpful mentors (or be one) and find inspiration well beyond just cranking out your double century.
The isolation of 2020 certainly annihilated our Mission. While the Virtual DCs successfully motivated many of us to stay fit and strong, allowed many to accomplish their California Triple Crown and Grand Slam goals, and absolutely saved Planet Ultra (meaning Deb & Brian) from complete financial devastation, Virtual just isn’t the same as sharing the experience of a LIVE, in-person event. So while Covid still haunts us, we’re making every effort to host actual events. If permits are granted, an event will happen. We will implement procedures/rules for Covid safety, good health and sanitation, of course.
That said, until California is 100% open, if you feel uncomfortable traveling and participating in person, you may choose the Virtual DC option for CTC and Grand Slam credit.**
We understand and respect your concerns. While we’ll certainly miss your smiling faces, we do want you to stay connected, even remotely, to your Planet Ultra and California Triple Crown family.
**Please note: When riders choose the virtual instead of the live event, it greatly affects our ability to meet our fixed costs (many of which are much higher now, especially insurance- which we now also purchase for the virtual events). Accordingly, we must increase the cost of the virtual by just a bit. Please take a moment to remember that a Virtual DC provides a great opportunity for you to meet your cycling goals, while also saving a whole bunch of money on travel expenses and entry fees. We promise to do our best to acknowledge, motivate, give kudos and help make your Virtual experience as awesome as possible. If you’re local to the LIVE event, please sign up for that!
WHAT’S INCLUDED WITH ENTRY:
1. A personal inspiration to fortify your physical, mental and spiritual well-being during the continued Covid craziness (try saying that three times!); with challenging bodily exertion, outside or indoors using a cycling training app like Zwift.
2. Support, kudos and accolades from your friends at Planet Ultra to keep you motivated and excited about future Double Centuries when everyone feels safe and comfortable gathering together again.
3. Both Grand Slam and California Triple Crown credit if you complete your Virtual Double within the time frame; but only if you abide by all the rules below.
4. Our heartfelt gratitude for your support and generosity! 2020 was a flaming train wreck of a year for us. Without you, we would not have survived. We wish 2021 was starting better; but we absolutely need your continued love and support. Without you, we could very well be out of the cycling business and looking for new jobs (which isn’t easy to do when you’re 55+).
These virtual doubles help keep us afloat and hopeful during 2021; and also help cover fixed costs for the LIVE doubles you’re not attending which have much lower participation than normal. We’re very happy you’re participating!
5. Opportunity to earn the Virtual California Triple Crown Winner jersey. With permission from CTC, we’re excited to offer this colorful, memorable, AWESOME jersey to commemorate your dedication to staying strong, fit and healthy in body, mind and spirit throughout the pandemic. Wear your Virtual Triple Crown accomplishment with pride and enthusiasm! Available for purchase by everyone who completed 3 or more virtual double centuries in 2020 or who will complete 3 or more virtual double centuries in 2021.
Jerseys will be special ordered and not inventoried. We’ll order twice: Mid April and end of October.
Order online or send us an email for info on how to pay via Venmo or Zelle.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
These are the RULES, most of which come directly from California Triple Crown (“CTC”) to ensure fairness and honor the integrity of the original routes in the double century series. The rules are few and simple; intended to create as closely as possible an “even playing field” between those who ride LIVE events and those who ride virtually.
Please study them, know them, love them, and then follow them like they mean the world to you- because they do. Virtual events are intended to mirror the actual events, so when you do one, you’ve accomplished a similar feat to those that ride the LIVE events. This means that your “credit” for completion is as meaningful and worthy. We all want your triple crown jerseys, entry into Hall of Fame and other impressive CTC milestones to be meaningful, right? Of course!!!
If your main goal is CTC credit, the rules are not subject to negotiation by Planet Ultra; so please don’t ask. And pretty please do not put us in the unenviable position of advising you that credit will not be given because you disregarded them. PLEASE ALSO NOTE: The Virtual event is intended for folks unable to travel due to Covid, or with legitimate concerns about the disease such as co-morbidities or living with an elderly parent or ill spouse. We are hosting a very safe LIVE event. We do expect you locals to come to the LIVE event; and socially distance if you’re at all concerned.
1. You must be on Strava and have a GPS unit to record and upload your ride. CTC will not accept manual entries. We must be able to see the actual route you rode, whether outside or using an app such as Zwift, Rouvy or FulGaz.
2. For credit using an indoor training app, you must be using a direct drive smart trainer with honest settings for your height and weight.
3. For Grand Slam and CTC credit, you must adhere to the following dates:
Ride vHeartbreak: May 22 – June 5
Ride vEastern Sierra: May 29 – June 12
Ride vTour of Two Forests: June 5 – June 19
4. Register for your Virtual DC online or using mail-in/email waiver before you attempt the ride; and no later than the date of the LIVE event. Links to register are at the bottom of this page; but please don’t skip ahead without reading ALL of the rules.
5. Request to join the Strava Club specific to the event: vHeartbreak; vEastern Sierra; vToTF. Your Strava name must be the same as the name you registered with, and your privacy settings for both your profile and the activity must be set to EVERYONE. This allows both Planet Ultra and California Triple Crown to view your ride to make sure it qualifies for credit. We will not chase you down to get you to change these settings. If you don’t do it, and we can’t see your ride, you simply won’t get credit. Planet Ultra is required to include your Strava activity link to California Triple Crown with the final results. If we can’t do this because your settings are wrong, you’ll miss out on CTC credit.
6. vHEARTBREAK vEASTERN SIERRA and vTOTF ROUTES: For CTC credit, your route must start and finish in the same location and be at least 200 miles with a minimum 12,000′ climbing. Mindful that GPS units vary +/- 10%, CTC will accept for credit rides showing as low as 10,800′; but no less.
Your virtual ride for any of the three events may not use any of the actual routes for the LIVE events, or more than 50% of the roads included in the routes, in any order. If you wish to ride in those roads, please sign up for the LIVE events and see your Planet Ultra friends. We have in place rules/procedures for Covid safety and we promise you as safe a cycling experience as you’d have at home. NOTE TO LIVE EVENT STAFF: This rule does NOT apply to you. A staff ride is not a virtual ride. You are welcome to ride the actual route!
7. Ride solo, with members of your own household, or with one or two friends maintaining social distancing at all times. Maintain social distancing and wear a face covering if entering any business along your route. (Admittedly, this is a Planet Ultra rule, not specified by CTC. We feel strongly that if you’re willing and able to ride with 4 or more friends, you can ride the LIVE event; unless your county restrictions forbid traveling. Our Covid safety guidelines for the LIVE event make it as safe (or safer) as any home-based group ride which likely requires you to enter public establishments to purchase water and food. No exceptions.)
8. Time limit: 20 hours (same as “tourist” division for LIVE DCs).
9. Record your ride and, within 48 hours of completion, post to Strava with the name of the event in the title. You must include at least one photo of yourself, even if you’re riding indoors. Late submissions will not receive CTC credit. Manual Strava entries will not receive credit.
10. Planet Ultra will give kudos, comment with congratulations, share your accomplishment and your photos on Facebook, report qualifying results to CTC and host final results our website.
Entry Fees:
Virtual Tour of Two Forests DC: $60
Through June 12th, use the SignUp button to register with RunSignUp and pay by credit card (includes a small service fee). Thereafter, use the SignUp button to sign waivers and then you must pay by Venmo or Zelle. Email Planet Ultra to request user information for either.
Prior event rules: For Planet Ultra Future use only:
CAMINO ROUTE: For CTC credit, your route must start and finish in the same location and be at least 200 miles with a minimum 11,435′ climbing; unless you do the actual route which is slightly less miles and a little more climbing.** For Grand Slam only credit, your route must be at least 200 miles with a minimum 8,800′ climbing.
Mindful that GPS units vary +/- 10%, CTC will accept for credit rides showing as low as 10,292′; but no less.
SOLVANG ROUTE: For CTC credit, your route must start and finish in the same location and be at least 200 miles with a minimum 8,200′ climbing.** Mindful that GPS units vary +/- 10%, CTC will accept for credit rides showing as low as 7,380′; but no less.